It is known to replace a diseased mitral valve with a stented or unstented bioprosthetic valve. The bioprosthetic mitral valve can be made from a harvested biological tissue including bovine, equine or porcine pericardial tissue, a bovine, equine or porcine mitral valve, or a homograft (or allograft) mitral valve. The bioprosthetic mitral valve can also be made from a suitable synthetic material including such as polyurethane or expanded PTFE.
It is also known to replace a diseased aortic valve with a stented or unstented bioprosthetic valve. The bioprosthetic aortic valve can be made from a harvested biological tissue including bovine, equine or porcine pericardial tissue, bovine, equine or porcine aortic valve, or a homograft (or allograft) aortic valve. The bioprosthetic aortic valve can also be made from a suitable synthetic material such as polyurethane or expanded PTFE.
In some cases, both the mitral valve and the aortic valve are diseased and a need exists for a method and apparatus for replacing both valves with a single bioprosthetic implantation in a single procedure. The present invention addresses this need using a single, stentless homograft.